I’d always been observant.
House Bloody was a noble family that rose in prominence thanks to our exploits in battle, which is why I was trained in the way of the sword despite being a girl. As I exercised my body and mind, my observational skills grew even sharper, and I eventually found myself able to just barely tell what someone was thinking.
“You’re incredible, Aigis. That powerful skill of yours is called Mind’s Eye, and I’m certain it will protect you,” I was once told.
“Really? I don’t like it very much. I can tell when people are lying…”
Sure, such a skill was useful in battle, but that wasn’t the case for day-to-day life. In noble society, where people were constantly scheming and putting up a front, this gift was more like a curse—chains holding me down, even.
Maybe things would have been different if I were the sort of person who was smart enough to both see through the lies and use that to my advantage, but unfortunately, I was never particularly clever. I was always better at swinging a sword than I was at thinking. In the end, I found myself gradually coming to hate people as they continued to lie to my face. Sometimes, I faked being sick to get out of parties and social gatherings.
One day, Father came to see me, worried about how I’d been cooped up in my room. When I told him my concerns, he answered me with a smile.
“Truth be told, your old man is pretty useless outside of battle, too,” he told me. “People took advantage of me all the time back in the day. That’s why I want you to look for a special someone. Someone who’s kind. Someone you can trust. If you do that, I know you can find true happiness. They’ll be your guiding light.”
“Does someone like that really exist? Did you find that special someone?”
“I sure did. Your mother. That’s why I’m no match for her, as I’m sure you know. But I am happy,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “I’ve even been blessed with adorable children.”
As I looked at him, I dreamed that one day I might find someone like that for myself.
Back then, House Bloody was so peaceful. That changed when Mother came down with an unknown illness. Father did everything in his power to find a cure, but nothing worked.
“What do I do?”
Father panicked as he saw Mother’s condition worsening. Eventually, he started relying on less credible options and shady individuals.
“Daddy, you mustn’t believe them,” I said to him.
“I’m sorry, Aigis. If there’s even a chance we can cure your mother, I have to take it.”
Father was cornered, and my words were no longer reaching him. He knew I could see through lies, but he refused to listen. No, that wasn’t quite right. He didn’t want to listen. Even if it was false hope, he had to cling to something, anything.
House Bloody continued to flourish on the battlefield. We had plenty of money and a massive territory, so there was no end to the number of people who sought to take advantage of us. They didn’t limit their attempts to my father either. They came to me as well.
“I know someone who can cure your mother.”
I was approached by a swindler looking to take advantage of me for a quick buck, but I immediately saw through their lies, beat them up, and took them into custody.
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find a cure for her. Come search with me.”
Next, one of my father’s friends approached me out of genuine kindness. However, after looking into my mother’s illness and coming up empty-handed, he gave up like everyone else.
“I hate everyone! No one is going to save us… In that case, I don’t want to get involved with anyone!”
That was why I rejected every person I met. Father asked me to at least attend my own birthday party, so I did for his sake, with no intention of being friendly with anyone there.
It was there that I met a mysterious young man. At first, I thought he was trying to curry my favor. I remember being disappointed, thinking that he was just like the others.
Later, I saw Father meeting in secret with two suspicious men. While I was off guard from seeing them, I ended up telling the young man everything.
He said something I didn’t expect—he told me I didn’t have to trust him. He would save me regardless, and in exchange, he wanted us to protect his territory.
It was a proposal born out of both sympathy and self-interest, but I could tell that he was really trying to think of a way to save my mother, and I found myself relieved that he wasn’t trying to deceive me. We’d only just met, and he had no reason to go out of his way for me and my family. Maybe that was why I felt able to trust him more than those who tried before him; he wasn’t just acting out of kindness. He was also doing this for himself, and he was honest about it.
At the end of the day, I didn’t trust offers made out of pure kindness. A person might try their best at first, but as soon as they ran into a challenge, they’d give up. People worked their hardest when they had something to gain from it. Sure, one of the main characters from the old heroic tales might’ve tried to save me out of pure kindness, but I wasn’t such a dreamer that I believed that kind of person actually existed.
Sometime later, I dropped by his mansion. I couldn’t help but grasp at the slimmest of hopes even though I kept telling myself to keep my expectations low.
When I saw him, I asked him about a cure for my mother, and he told me, “In that case, do not worry. I know what needs to be done.”
Then, he smiled warmly in order to put my nerves at ease. When I used my Mind’s Eye skill on him, I knew that he wasn’t lying.
I could see a mix of emotions in his expression: relief that he had found a cure, happiness that I would be relieved by this news, exhilaration that he’d made a connection that would allow him to protect his territory. None of his feelings were false.
Oh, he’s truly found a cure… He can save my mother.
As soon as I understood this, I began to weep even though another person could see me. After my tears dried, I explained my power to him, certain that he must find it questionable that I could put my faith in him so quickly. Regardless of what his intentions were, it was unfair to keep my skill a secret when he was willing to lend me his aid.
Being able to read someone’s emotions… Others saw it as unpleasant. To be honest, I assumed he would be disgusted, but I continued to explain nonetheless, my heart racing all the while.
I’d never imagined what he would really say.
Instead of being disturbed by my abilities, he showed genuine concern. This filled me with so much joy that I found myself saying something to him that I had never said to anyone else.
“Then…would you…b-be my friend?”
“Absolutely, Lady Aigis. If you are fine with having me as a friend, I would love to be yours.”
When he responded with a grin, I could feel myself on the verge of tears again. It was then that I felt it—the breadth of knowledge that allowed him to discover a cure for Mother and the open-mindedness that led him to accept my power meant something. This young man was like my mother was for my father. He was my soulmate.
And so, I silently made a vow to myself: I would protect him at all costs. Plus, I wanted to see what he would go on to accomplish.
Just as I gave my thanks and was about to head home, he mentioned that he was going to the Divine Spring with his maid and the young man named Nyarl. I immediately changed plans.
Nyarl was an extremely suspicious person whom I couldn’t understand. For some reason, I was incapable of reading him with my Mind’s Eye.
Obviously, there had been others like that before: a knowledgeable, battle-worn nobleman at the royal palace and an assassin who displayed no emotions on their face. However, this Nyarl was just a random nobleman’s son. I suspected there might have been something deeper going on, which meant Weiss was potentially in danger. Before I realized what I was saying, I told Weiss I would tag along.
He didn’t seem to know what to do, but he gave me permission to come to the Divine Spring with them nonetheless.
I only hoped he wouldn’t dislike my pushiness. As scary as that might be, even worse was the thought that something could happen to him because he was helping me.